Field repairable high voltage connector

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to a high voltage, multi-lead connector which is readily repaired in the field and requires a minimum of tools of the type ordinarily carried by a repairman. The connector comprises a clam shell housing having a plurality of grooves therein for receiving boots therein, the central portion of each groove having a different length enlargement for easily positioning wires in their proper location. This is accomplished by providing boots which mate with the grooves. The boot is formed of a resilient material such as silicon rubber and includes an enlarged central region for mating with one of the grooves in the clam shell, a shoulder for abutting the wire insulation to provide a stop and a key or indentation for receiving a shoulder in the terminal for locking the terminal therein. The boot also includes an integral O-ring positioned at the forward end of the clam shell for providing the normal sealing function when mated with a mating unit in well known manner.

United States Patent ['1 Glover et al.

1451 Oct. 15,1974

1 1 FIELD REPAIRABLE iucu VOLTAGE CONNECTOR [75] Inventors: Douglas Wade Glover, Harrisburg;

Kenneth Oscar Kopenhaver, Hershey, both of Pa.

[73] Assignee: AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

[22] Filed: Aug. 23, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 390,810

[52] U.S. Cl. 339/60 M, 285/137 R, 285/351, 339/94 M, 339/210 M [51] Int. Cl H01r 13/52 [58] Field of Search 339/59-63, 339/94, 210; 285/137 R, 351

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,259,871 7/1966 Chandler 339/63 R 3,745,512 7/1973 Johnson et al. 339/59 Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Gerald K. Kita 7] ABSTRACT The disclosure relates to a high voltage, multi-lead connector which is readily repaired in the field and requires a minimum of tools of the type ordinarily car ried by a repairman. The connector comprises a clam shell housing having a plurality of grooves therein for receiving boots therein, the central portion of each groove having a different length enlargement for easily positioning wires in their proper location. This is accomplished by providing boots which mate with the grooves. The boot is formed of a resilient material such as silicon rubber and includes an enlarged central region for mating with one of the grooves in the clam shell, a shoulder for abutting the wire insulation to provide a stop and a key or indentation for receiving a shoulder in the terminal for locking the terminal therein. The boot also includes an integral O-ring positioned at the forward end of the clam shell for providing the normal sealing function when mated with a mating unit in well known manner.

16 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures FIELD REPAIRABLE HIGH VOLTAGE CONNECTOR This invention relates to a field repairable high voltage connector and, more specifically, to a connector wherein a wire can be readily spliced in the field and placed in a particular boot which, when replaced in a clam shell housing, provides all of the necessary high voltage sealing required.

In retrofittable receptacles and/or plugs already mounted in machinery, it is difficult to provide field repair for present molded parts. Repair of such devices is costly, time consuming and may require special equipment not normally found in the field and not a normal part of a servicemans tool complement.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a high voltage field repairable connector which can be readily repaired using normal hand tools and requiring minimal skill. Briefly, this is accomplished by providing an electrical connector which comprises a clam shell housing having a plurality of grooves therein for receiving boots therein, the central portion of each groove having a different length enlargement for easily positioning wires in their proper location. This is accomplished by providing boots which mate with the grooves. The boot is formed of a resilient material such as silicon rubber and includes an enlarged central region for mating with one of the grooves in the clam shell, a shoulder for abutting the wire insulation to provide a stop and a key or indentation for receiving a shoulder in the terminal for locking the terminal therein. The boot also includes an integral O-ring positioned at the forward end of the clam shell for providing the normal sealing function when mated with a mating unit in well known manner.

It is therefore. an object of this invention to provide a field repairable high voltage electrical connector having a boot which is readily locked over a terminal and wire to provide efficient high voltage sealing.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a boot for a high voltage electrical connector which comprises an integral O-ring at one end for sealing with a mating device, a central O- ring for providing sealing internally of its associated device and a low pressure large area portion for sealing with wire insulation.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a high voltage field repairable electrical connector having plural boots therein as above described for retaining terminated wire.

The above objects and still further objects of the invention will become immediately apparent to those skilled in the art after consideration of the following preferred embodiment thereof. which is provided by way of example and not by way of limitation, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a prespective view of a high voltage field repairable electrical connector in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken. along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 with the boot and wires removed;-

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the receptacle of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross section of the boot used in the socket of FIGS. 1 and 3; and

FIG. 7 is a view as in FIG. 6 with a terminated wire secured within the boot.

Referring now to FIG. I, there is shown an electrical connector including a socket 1 and a receptacle 3. The socket includes mating top and bottom housing portions 5 and 7 secured together by means of screws 9 which extend through portion 5 and are received by thread receiving apertures 11 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The socket 1 includes a bevel 13 for polarization purposes. A screw 15, better shown in FIG. 3 is threaded through threads 17 and threads into the receptacle 3. A pair of flanges 19, one in portion 5 and one in portion 7 provide for alinement ofthe socket l and receptacle 3 during connection. Wires 21 are secured in boots 23 as will be explained in detail hereinbelow.

The receptacle, as set forth in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 includes a housing 25 having outgoing lines 27 and a forward portion 29,having a bevel 31 for polarization. The

forward portion 29 includes plural tapered or conically shaped apertures 33 with an annular recess 35 therearound for receiving an O-ring as will be explained hereinbelow. A threaded aperture 37 is provided for receiving the screw 15. A pin 39 (FIG. 5) extends into aperture 33 and is connected to a wire 41 which extends to one of lines 27. g

The housings 5, 7 and 25 are formed from a rigid electrically insulating plastic, many of which are well known in the art. These housings are preferably molded.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 6 and 7, the housing portions 5 and 7 have mating grooves and are substantially mirror images of each other except for the polarizing bevel 13. The boot 23 is positioned in the grooves 43 (FIG. 2), the boot including a tapered front nose portion 45, an O-ring 47 at the rear of the nose portion, a second O-ring 49, each O-ring 49 having the same cross-section but having a different axial length to provide for proper location of the wires. The boot includes reduced neck regions 51 and 53 on either side of O-ring 49 and an enlarged neck portion .55 having a shoulder 57. The interior of the boot, as shown in FIG. 6, includes a shoulder 59 and an indentation 61. The boot is formed from a resilient material capable of acting as an electrical insulator to high voltage. Silicon rubber has been found to be a suitable material for providing the boots. A wire 21 is placed into the boot 23 by crimping a terminal 65 (FIG. 7) onto the wire, the terminal having a key 65forlocking in indentation 61. The insulation of wire 21 abuts the shoulder 59 to provide a stop to wire entry into the: boot. It is therefore apparent that the wire and terminal are inserted into the boot until the key locks in place and the insulation abuts shoulder 59.

The neck portion 55 of the boot has a smaller inside diameter than the outer diameter of the wire insulation so that the boot stretches when the wire is inserted therein and provides radial pressure due to memory. This provides a soft seal between boot and insulation since the'neck portion 55 is designed to provide a large area, low pressure seal. This is necessary especially if the wire insulation is made of polytetrafluoroethylene due to the cold flow properties of this insulation material and its reduction of strength with increasedtemperature. This minimizes the loss of a seal at the neck portion 55. The neck regions 51. are tapered to the portions adjacent O-rings 47 too large for the cavities at the cavity portion adjacent the O-rings 47.

The socket 1 is assembled by placing wires within boots in the proper grooves 43 of the portion 7, placing the portion 5 over the boots and tightening the screws 9. This forces the portions 5 and 7 together against the O-rings 49 and flattens the O-rings to some extent to provide a seal between the boot and the socket housing. Also, the neck regions 51 are placed in compression so that there is a localized pressure at the edge of neck region 51 adjacent O-ring 47 against the wire within the boot to prevent the wire from pulling out of the boot.

In operation, the socket 1 and receptacle 3 are brought together properly polarized due to bevels 13 and 31. The socket and receptacle are alined due to flanges 19. The conical noses 45 enter the apertures 33, the noses 45 being slightly larger than the apertures 33, so that air is forced out of the apertures. As the screw 15 is tightened, the noses 45 substantially completely fill the grooves 33 and evacuate them. Also, the O-rings 47 now enter the annular grooves 35 and are squeezed therein to provide a seal between the socket and receptacle and force the terminals 39 and 63 together to provide the electrical connection.

It can be seen that the connector is sealed at all points around the connection, at the junction of the socket and receptacle and along the wire insulation. It is also clear that the only tools required, at most, are a wire cutter, crimper and screw driver, these being standard tools which can be used in the field with minimal skill.

Though the invention has been described with respect to a specific preferred embodiment thereof, many variations and modifications will immediately become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore the intention that the appended claims be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all such variations and modifications.

What is claimed is:

1. A high voltage connector which comprises,

a. a socket including a pair of mating housing portions, each housing portion having plural sets of grooves which mate with plural sets of grooves in the other housing portion,

b. a resilient boot positioned in a mating pair of said grooves, said boot including a pair of spaced 0- rings integral therewith, one of said O-rings positioned intermediate the two axial ends of said groove and the other Oring positioned beyond and in intimate contact with one end of said groove, said one of said O-rings forming a seal with said housing portions.

2. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said boot includes a tapered nose extending outward from said other of said O-rings.

3. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said boot includes a hollow interior region, said hollow region including an indentation and a shoulder spaced from said indentation in a direction opposite from said other O-ring.

4. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 2 wherein said boot includes a hollow interior region, said hollow region including an indentation and a shoulder spaced from said indentation in a direction opposite from said other O-ring.

5. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 3 further including a terminal having a key and a wire having insulation thereon coupled to said terminal, said key being locked in said indentation and said insulation abutting said shoulder.

6. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 4 further including a terminal having a key and a wire having insulation thereon coupled to said terminal, said key being locked in said indentation and said insulation abutting said shoulder.

7. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 5 wherein said boot includes a large area neck portion in compression over said insulation.

8. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 6 wherein said boot includes a large area neck portion in compression over said insulation.

9. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 1 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring.

10. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 3 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring.

11. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 5 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring.

12. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 7 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring.

13. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 2 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring and said tapered nose and deforming said O-ring and said tapered nose.

14. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 4 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring and said tapered nose and deforming said O-ring and said tapered nose.

15. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 6 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring and said tapered nose and deforming said O-ring and said tapered nose.

16. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 8 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring and said tapered nose and deforming said O-ring and said tapered nose. 

1. A high voltage connector which comprises, a. a socket including a pair of mating housing portions, each housing portion having plural sets of grooves which mate with plural sets of grooves in the other housing portion, b. a resilient boot positioned in a mating pair of said grooves, said boot including a pair of spaced O-rings integral therewith, one of said O-rings positioned intermediate the two axial ends of said groove and the other O-ring positioned beyond and in intimate contact with one end of said groove, said one of said O-rings forming a seal with said housing portions.
 2. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said boot includes a tapered nose extending outward from said other of said O-rings.
 3. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said boot includes a hollow interior region, said hollow region including an indentation and a shoulder spaced from said indentation in a direction opposite from said other O-ring.
 4. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 2 wherein said boot includes a hollow interior region, said hollow region including an indentation and a shoulder spaced from said indentation in a direction opposite from said other O-ring.
 5. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 3 further including a terminal having a key and a wire having insulation thereon coupled to said terminal, said key being locked in said indentation and said insulation abutting said shoulder.
 6. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 4 further including a terminal having a key and a wire having insulation thereon coupled to said terminal, said key being locked in said indentation and said insulation abutting said shoulder.
 7. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 5 wherein said boot includes a large area neck portion in compression over sAid insulation.
 8. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 6 wherein said boot includes a large area neck portion in compression over said insulation.
 9. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 1 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring.
 10. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 3 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring.
 11. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 5 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring.
 12. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 7 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring.
 13. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 2 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring and said tapered nose and deforming said O-ring and said tapered nose.
 14. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 4 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring and said tapered nose and deforming said O-ring and said tapered nose.
 15. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 6 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring and said tapered nose and deforming said O-ring and said tapered nose.
 16. A high voltage connector as set forth in claim 8 further including receptacle means in sealing relation with said other O-ring and said tapered nose and deforming said O-ring and said tapered nose. 